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A total of 12 P-3C aircraft were converted to replace older versions of the aircraft, which had been converted in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The aircraft are known by the acronym ARIES, or "Airborne Reconnaissance Integrated Electronic System".[1]

After several days, the crew was repatriated separately to the United States while the aircraft remained in China, reported taken apart for research on American technology. Although the crew attempted to destroy as much classified material, hardware and software on the aircraft prior to the emergency landing, there is little doubt that the EP-3 was exploited by Chinese intelligence services. An American team was later permitted to enter Hainan in order to dismantle the aircraft, which was subsequently airlifted back to United States for reassembly and repair.

Boeing has started working on an unscheduled replacement aircraft, the EP-X, based on their 737.[2]

On 16 August 2009, The Navy issued an "EP-X Analysis of Alternatives" that called for "information useful for the execution of the Electronic Patrol-X (EP-X) program which will recapitalize the EP-3E aircraft to provide tactical, theater, and national level Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance, and Targeting (ISR&T) support to Carrier Strike Groups and to Theater, Combatant, and National Commanders."[3]

On 23 September 2009, leaked Navy budget documents for FY2011 revealed that the EP-X program would be delayed rather than started in that year.[4]

On 1 February 2010, the President unveiled his proposed budget for 2010. This budget called for, among other things, cancelling the EP-X program.[5]

After the cancellation of the EP-X Program, the US Navy has planned to replace the EP-3E Aries II with the MQ-4CBroad Area Maritime Surveillance (BAMS) unmanned aircraft and the MQ-8B Fire Scout unmanned helicopter. All P-3 Orion aircraft assigned to special projects squadrons (VPU) and all EP-3E Aries II aircraft are expected to fully retire by 2020.[6]

U.S. Navy Lockheed EP-3A Orion of air test and evaluation squadron VX-1 Pioneers in 1983. This aircraft was used in the "EMPASS" project, the "Electromagnetic Performance of Air and Ship Systems" (EMPASS) Project.

EP-3A: Seven modified for electronic reconnaissance testing.

EP-3B: Least known of all P-3 family. 3 P-3A(149669, 149673, 149678) were obtained by CIA from US Navy under Project STSPIN in May 1963, as the replacement aircraft for CIA's own covert operation fleet of RB-69A/P2V-7U. Converted by Aerosystems Division of LTV at Greenville, Texas, the 3 P-3A were simply known as "black" P-3A under Project Axial. Officially transferred from US Navy to CIA on June/July 1964, LTV Aerosystems converted the 3 aircraft to be both ELINT and COMINT platform. First of 3 "black" P-3A arrived in Taiwan and officially transferred to ROCAF's top secret "Black Bat" Squadron on June 22, 1966. Armed with 4 Sidewinder short range AAM missiles for self-defense, the 3 "black" P-3A flew peripheral missions along the China coast to collect SIGINT and air samples. When the project was terminated in January 1967, all 3 "black" P-3A were flown to NAS Alameda, CA, for long term storage. 2 of the 3 aircraft(149669 and 149678) were converted into the only 2 EP-3B examples in existence in the world by Lockheed at Burbank in September 1967, while the third aircraft(149673) were converted by Lockheed in 1969–1970 to serve as a development aircraft for various electronic programs. The 2 EP-3B were known as "Bat Rack", owing to their short period of service with Taiwan's "Black Bat" Squadron, were issued to US Navy's VQ-1 Squadron in 1969 and deployed to Da Nang, Vietnam. Later, the 2 EP-3B were converted to EP-3E ARIES, along with 10 EP-3A. The 12 EP-3E retired in 1990s, when replaced by 12 EP-3E ARIES II.[7]

EP-3J: Two modified from P-3As for FEWSG use as a simulated adversary EW platform in exercises; later transferred to the former Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron 33 (VAQ-33), then transferred to the former Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron 11 (VQ-11).